Council selects candidate to fill term

Van Deventer gets nod over 8 others

NATIONAL CITY 
The City Council has selected Jess Van Deventer from a list of nine candidates who sought to serve the unfinished term of former Councilman Luis Natividad.

Van Deventer, a former 15-year councilman and 12-year Port of San Diego commissioner, was sworn in immediately after being selected at the end of a meeting Tuesday. He will serve until December 2010, when the term ends.

The candidates were interviewed during a special council meeting last week. On Tuesday, the four council members went through four rounds of voting before selecting Van Deventer by a 3-1 vote.

Van Deventer thanked the council after being sworn in and said he hoped to move the city forward over the next 22 months.

Many residents attended the meeting in support of various candidates. Some left disappointed. After Van Deventer was seated at the dais, council members explained their decisions. Most said they voted for Van Deventer's experience.

Councilman Frank Parra said he agreed with city Port Commissioner Robert Valderrama, who appealed to the council to appoint Van Deventer. Valderrama said Van Deventer could best help him in his efforts to “correct the revenue deficiency” the city has with the port.

National City wants a larger share of the revenue it generates for the port than it currently receives.

“We're facing dire financial consequences,” Parra said. “You have to do what's right for the city.”

Van Deventer stepped down as a port commissioner in December 2004, when Valderrama was appointed to the job. In 1977, Van Deventer was appointed to fill a three-year vacancy on the National City council, then ran three more successful races.

Jerry Cano, who was interviewed for the vacancy, failed to get the required number of voter signatures and was disqualified. The other candidates were Darryl Gorham, Cecilia Kirk, Frank Lopez, Janice Martinelli, Mona Rios, Fideles Ungab and Ditas Yamane.

Councilwoman Alejandra Sotelo-Solis said she believed in “new energy” and said voters made their choice when they voted for Rios in November. Rios placed third in the race for two council seats.
Janine Zuniga: (619) 498-6636;
janine.zuniga@uniontrib.com